Bring on the boardgames: Having fun in lockdown

Boardgames. You either love them or you hate them. They’re often a source of both major arguments and the funniest memories. So how can we make the most of this controversial family entertainment in lockdown?

Jump onto video chat

You and your friends or family may be stuck in different locations, but as long as one of you has the boardgame you want to play (and enough player pieces) – you can jump on a video conferencing app like Zoom, Skype or Facebook Portal and play the night away. We’d always recommend a bit of Monopoly!

Grab your smartphone

There are loads of great multiplayer games on the App Store and Google Play. It might take a bit of digging to find the one that floats your boat, but you’ve got plenty of time for that. Some of our favourite games include Words With Friends (a Scrabble-type word game), Draw Something (think Pictionary), 8 Ball Pool (for snooker and pool fans), Risk (the classic strategy game), and Animal Crossing (start a new life in an adorable animal village).

Join the Board Game Arena

Play boardgames online with your friends and thousands of players around the world. All you need to enter the Board Game Arena is an account (you can login through Facebook or Google). The site boasts the best games of yesterday and today – so you may come across some childhood favourites. There are Premium games, but many are free to play, including Chess, Backgammon and Saboteur, as well as some you may not know… yet.

Look online

Gaming has been online for as long as online has existed. Providers like Steam and Tabletopia offer great paid-for games. Tabletopia also has a selection of free games, but the Steam Sale is legendary if you’re looking for a bargain.

You could also try sites like Yucata, where you’ll find free online games that you can invite specific players too. The games on Yucata are slightly more niche – but you never know, you might find a new favourite.

Then there’s Tabletop Simulator , which lets up to 10 people play games like Backgammon, Cards, Chess, Dominoes, Mahjong, Poker and Solitaire together. Plus, you can even play it with VR headsets – for added realism. Tabletop Simulator does cost £14.99 per player, but if the lockdown boredom is really getting to you, it might just be worth it.

Don’t forget your console

Last but definitely not least, you can use the online stores on your games console to find new things to play. There are often sales and discounts to be found on relatively new releases. Beyond that, the online versions of your favourite PlayStation and Xbox games are great fun to get into if you want to interact with other people. Call of Duty, FIFA, Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto are just a few of those games.

We think that’s probably enough to keep you busy for a little while. But if you find all this fun starts to eat up your broadband or mobile data, why not choose an Unlimited data SIM from SMARTY, so you can keep calm and carry on gaming!